Phase‑feld Modeling of Phase Transformations in Multicomponent Alloys: A Review

Abstract

Almost all alloys of engineering importance are multicompo‑
nent in character. Multicomponent alloys are subject to complex inter‑
play of thermodynamic and kinetic parameters and display a rich variety
of microstructural features which are not seen in binary alloys. Achieving
microstructural control of multicomponent alloys is central to their eff‑
cacy in specifc applications. Unraveling the chemistry-thermomechan‑
ical processing-microstructure relationships in multicomponent alloys
only through experiments have been proven to be a resource intensive
approach. Quantitative simulations of microstructural evolution in multi‑
component alloys using the technique of phase-feld modeling can sig‑
nifcantly offset the experimental burden and provide an energy effcient
and sustainable framework for alloy design. In this review, we focus
on those phase-feld models which can consider the evolution of multi‑
ple phases simultaneously in a multicomponent system and attempt to
understand the history of their emergence as tools of predictive value.
We briefy review the studies conducted with such multiphase, multi‑
component phase-feld models and conclude with a commentary on the
future role of phase-feld modeling towards the sustainable development
of novel multicomponent alloys.